Finding a Job

Finding a job in Australia can be very exciting and challenging. As you know that you have landed into a new country with a different set of rules and way of running a business, it can take a while for you to find a job on your own.

As international students in Australia are only allowed to work 40 hours per fortnight during the study period, they can only do a part-time job in Australia.

Why do students need a part-time job?

Although international students need to show enough funds to support themselves while on a student visa in Australia, some students would like to pay off the fee by doing part-time in Australia.

It can be challenging to complete your studies and work at the same time but many overseas students get used to it once they start studying in Australia.

Not only a part-time job can help to pay back some of your student loans but it can also be helpful to improve your skills and knowledge and save up some money for traveling.

So here are some methods to find a part-time job in Australia:

1. Referrals

The best way to get your first job in Australia is through a reference from someone you already know, it can be a friend, teacher or your peers.

Employers usually prefer to hire people through reference from family and friends. So don’t hesitate to ask for jobs from the people you already know in Australia.

2. Networking

Networking can be another great way of finding a job in Australia. Networking is meeting new people in your industry or area of work and establishing a relationship with people that can be mutually beneficial for both the parties.

In Australia, you can do networking by:

Attending meeting, events, workshops, seminars, and exhibitions

Becoming a member of a professional body like CPA for Accountants or ACS for IT professionals.

Online using tools like Linkedin, Whatsapp groups and Facebook groups

3. Door knocking

It is quite a traditional way of finding a job but it still works. Some students would take their resume and hand it to the businesses where they would like to work.

It is important to keep a few things in mind when doing door knocking:

Don’t hand out your resume to the other employees.

Always ask for the manager.

Prepare what to say when you meet the manager beforehand.

4. Students Support Office

You can contact the student support office of your college/institute/university. This can be a really useful way since lots of businesses approach the institutes directly for their recruitment.

It is important to check your university or college notice boards for any information posted for the job advertisements. Sometimes other students studying in your institute or education provider post jobs from their workplaces on the noticeboards.

We suggest you to always keep an eye on it and check on the notice boards regularly as well. Some universities will have on-campus jobs also.

5. Job Websites

One of the most preferred ways of applying for jobs in Australia is via online as most of the businesses prefer candidates to apply that way.

We recommend to look up job on these websites to find part-time work in your city:

seek.com.au

au.indeed.com

au.jora.com

gumtree.com.au

au.oneshiftjobs.com

adzuna.com.au

6. Business websites

Not only the job advertising websites are useful but some businesses only advertise their jobs on their own portals and websites.

So we suggest you check on the business websites that you are interested to work with. Here are some examples of the businesses those who use their own websites for their hiring process:

Woolworths

Coles

Aldi

Myer

David Jones

7. Contractor

If you can’t find work as an employee, then working for yourself is the best way to go. You can work as a contractor for various businesses in Australia. Thanks to the sharing economy, finding work as a contractor is much easier than ever before. You can work for businesses like:

Uber Eats

Deliveroo

Airtasker

8. Freelancer

Still working for yourself but this time if you have more skills than doing general tasks than you can decide to work as a Freelance. Freelancer positions are getting popular by the day. You should look into websites:

Fiverr

Upwork

Freelancer

99designs

9. Recruitment agencies

There are some dedicated recruitment agencies that can help to find a job as well. You should always look for the opportunities to approach them and make sure to send your updated resume for any possible positions they may have for the types of jobs you are looking for.

You can look for work from agencies like:

Sidekicker

10. Volunteering

If you don’t have any experience working in Australia, then getting yourself a volunteering work can be a great start. Volunteering is obviously not a paid job but it is certainly a way to help the community. It will not only look good on your resume but also help in building your confidence and communication skills.

RESOURCES

STUDENT LIFE

Most of the universities and institutions will have an orientation week, also known as Week 0 of the studies where they will explain more about the institution, your studies, providing you with a time table and a student card (which can be useful for many exclusive discounts and offers).
As a newcomer to the country, we highly recommend you to attend the orientation as it helps you to meet other students, administration staff members and understand your own institution better